Check Out These Dates For Freshness Of Foods

April 14, 1988|By Gail Perrin, Boston Globe.

Check your refrigerator.

Perhaps the egg carton is stamped ``EXP Aug. 14,`` the bottom of the cottage cheese carton says ``AUG. 16,`` the package of cooked chicken nuggets is stamped ``Sell By Aug. 17`` and the butter has ``Best if used by Aug. 21`` on the box.

Does that mean you should throw out your eggs, cottage cheese, chicken nuggets and butter? Is the food safe? Is it palatable?

And if it is still safe and good-tasting, just how much longer could you store it?

The answer is-it depends.

If all those products have been stored and transported properly-from processor to market to your refrigerator-they will all be good for at least another few days, probably a week, and, in the case of the eggs and butter, perhaps another five weeks or more. But if any of them have been mishandled along the way, their quality and safety could be in jeopardy. For example, an egg held at room temperature one day ages as much as an egg kept a week in its carton in the refrigerator, according to the Northeast United Egg Producers.

Therefore, those dates on the package-called ``open dates,`` as distinguished from the coded dates specifically designed for the manufacturer and retailer-cannot guarantee product freshness. But, assuming proper handling and storage, those dates can be helpful.

The same date, however, may mean different things: It could be the

``pack,`` ``pull,`` ``sell by,`` ``use by`` or ``expiration`` date. With the exception of dairy products, which have ``pull`` or ``sell by`` dates, open dating systems are not standardized.

Many states require dating of many food products to help us choose fresh and wholesome foods. The dates apply to prepackaged products considered

``perishable,`` those with a shelf life of less than 60 days, and

``semiperishable,`` those with a shelf life of less than 90 days.

Most such products should be marked with a month, day and year, along with a qualifying statement such as ``sell by`` or ``best if used by.`` But fresh baked goods may be marked with only the last day of the week that the item should be sold.

The most commonly used open dating on packages is what is known as the

``pull`` or ``sell by`` date. Generally, if a product has no other information on it other than a date, the date is considered a pull date. What that means is that a product should be pulled from the grocery shelves by the date marked. But the date also allows time for subsequent home storage: For instance, a carton of milk will keep for at least a week after the ``pull`` or ``sell by`` date as long as it hasn`t been abused in handling and storage. The ``pull date`` does not indicate the last day the product should be consumed.

If a product has a ``pack date,`` that tells you the date the food was manufactured or processed. On fresh meat, the pack date may be just a date with no message. So it`s up to you to determine the reasonable shelf life of the food. For instance, the meat may be good for four or five days; if it`s fresh fish, it`s generally one or two days. A can of beans, on the other hand, would keep for a year or more.

Also common are ``use by`` dates. If you want a product to have the quality that it had when it left the processing plant, simply use it by the date marked. However, most food processors allow a little cushion in their dates. And even if you don`t use the product by a certain date, it often will be safe to eat. For instance, aseptically-packaged juices, mayonnaise, breakfast cereals and peanut butter often have ``use by`` dates.

If a product has an ``expiration date,`` it means you should use it before that date for best results. For instance, if you want to poach an egg, you`d probably want to do so before the expiration date on the carton as the whites and yolks tend to lose body the longer they are stored. But the eggs will still be good for baking or scrambling some time after the expiration date. Yeast and refrigerated dough products sometimes have EXP dates, too, right along with storage suggestions such as ``keep refrigerated.`` So, again, caution. If you don`t refrigerate a product so marked, any date on it is no longer valid.

Also, remember that once a package has been opened, its keeping quality will be diminished.

Because dairy products tend to be among the most perishable foods we buy, here are some guidelines on how long we might be able to store them beyond their pull dates. Once more, however, remember that the date is not a guarantee of product freshness. If an item is not stored or transported under proper conditions, you may still need to use your nose, tongue, eye or past experience to determine if a product is still edible.

Milk and cream: Can be stored five to seven days after opening under proper refrigeration (38 degrees). Pour out only the amount of milk you will use and return the container to the refrigeration immediately. Do not pour milk that has been standing at room temperature back into the container.